Performance of 30-06 180 BT vs 180 Partition

[nosler06]

For hunting deer, I use the 165 Partition (since 1963) and have never had a failure to kill. For elk, I have used the 180 grain Partition and it always performs the same and usually does not stay in the animal, unless you hit a heavy bone.

I have weighed the idea of the 165gr against the 180gr Partition in my 30-06 many many times. The 180gr Partition wins every time. I will take my dads old .308 with the 165gr Partitions when I am not worried about Mr. Grizzly. I do agree with you totally and have seen very few Partitions stay in an animal. I have recovered 3 from my bull moose shot at 485yds and a couple that have hit and taken out both shoulders of elk. They do tend to travel through black bears and am still waiting to shoot a grizzly. Close, but none shot to date.

 

[FOTIS]

Either from a 30-06 will work from antelope to elk!

 

[Oldtrader3]

We don' have Ole Ephraim to worry about here in Washington. If we did, I would carry my 9.3x74R all of the time.

 

[Guy Miner]

And for those who don't know the story of that famous sheep-killing grizzly:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Ephraim

OT3, thanks for using "Ole Ephraim" in your post. I hadn't thought about that moniker in years.

Regards, Guy

 

[Oldtrader3]

Guy, I have not used the name for a long time but it fits this topic?

 

[DON]

Nosler06,

Your experience with the 180 RN is different than mine had been. I can't explain it but thinking back, my brother did our reloading back then and was loading 2 grains under max per Hornady's manual, we never did chronograph our loads but out of my 22" barrel. It may have been only going 2400-2500 in velocity. I know I did kill a few Buck that encountered lots of bone and never had that kind of exit holes. Typically rib cage shots produced quarter size exit holes. It appears with all the discussion here the 180 Partition behaves similar which is what I'm looking for.

I went back yesterday to the scene where I killed both deer last season with the 165 BT.
The Doe was 20-yards and the buck was 60-yards. Given the close distance and hitting bone I see why the BT ruptured like it did. I mean it is impressive when doing rib cage shots but I will be going up to the 180 and most likely now the Partition.

Don

 

[DON]

Well I finally got to the Loading Bench to work up some 180 Ballistic Tips to try. I will get to the Partitions later. Here is what I loaded.

Rem 700 30-06
22" Barrel
180 BT
New Winchester Brass
CCI-200 Primer

Powders used:
Ramshot Hunter
H4350
Reloader 22

Bullets seated the length of magazine which puts me .150 off the lands. I'd be happy with 2700-2750 fps, long as the accuracy is there after some adjustments. Now to get to the Range and put them out there.

Don

 

[DrMike]

Sounds as if you've got the potential for some fine loads. I'll be looking forward to your results, Don.

 

[DON]

Dr. Mike,
I think so too, didn't load anything that will get me in trouble. Will see what it gives me to start with and go from there. Plan to work with the Partition also later.

Don

 

[Wondermutt]

Hi Don, we drew a few extra deer tags two years ago and used our '06's to bag them. Two of them used 180g AB's and one used 180g BT's. All three of us had extensive meat damage from these bullets. They were fairly close range - less than 75 yard shots.

Last year, we drew some more tags. Only this time we used 180g Partitions. Same yardage, roughly the same impact points and a whole lot less meat damage.

I used the 180g AB's in the -06 as I went to 200g versions for the 300 RUM and had a few hundred left over.

I think there may be something with the Nosler BT and AB's because I thought it was the RUM tearing up the meat when it hit bone. I went to Berger for RUM and had a shoulder shot and not near the meat damage.

So I am going to stick with these combos: Berger for the RUM and 180g Partitions for the -06.

On a side note: For the yardages I am shooting, the Berger is no more accurate than the Nosler stuff and will continue to hunt with the Nosler in most of my rifles. My results are in no way scientific but, bloodshot meat is lost meat.

 

[DON]

Well, finally after two range trips It appears the 180 Partition wins out. I had my best load show up with Reloder -22.

Remington 700 30-06 with 22"barrel
180 Partition seated 3.765 off Ogive (this puts me .095 off the lands)
New Winchester Cases
61.0 Reloder 22
CCI 250 Mag primer
3/4" center to center 3-shot group @ 100 yards ( shot from rear bag and bench rest)

I will add here, brass was FL Re-sized, flash holes de-burred, reamed and camfered with VLD tools and trimmed to 2.484 min. length.

After loading up H4350, R-22 & Hunter powders with CCI primers I abandoned the CCI 200 due to some lousy groups with both the 180 BT & Partitions. Had a few three shot groups with two in and one out. Came home put same loads together but with CCI-250 primers. Had one decent group with 57.0 H4350, but it was the last load of the range session that surprised me especially after shooting so long and getting fatigued at the bench, load listed above.

I was disgusted with the Partitions during the seating process, stated in another thread I started.
The results were surprising to say the least. :shock: I was hoping all along the Partition would come through. :mrgreen: Guy Miner was correct in stating even though the seating of the Partition was a pain (basically) what were the results on paper? Me and my BIG MOUTH!!

Next step is to load a bunch up sight the gun in and then chronograph them to see where the velocity could be. If I get 2700 fps with this 22" barrel I'd really be happy with that. :wink: 8)

This will be the load for this 2015 Deer Season, anxious to try them out now.

Don

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Sounds like a great load Don. You really can't go wrong with a .30-06-180 grain Partition as an all-around load. You should be getting your 2700 fps without any problem even in a 22" barrel.

Please post pictures when you get your deer this year.

Good luck -

Dale

 

[DON]

Thanks Dale,
We are to get some lousy weather here tomorrow. That should free me up work wise to get the loading done, clean the gun and get her ready for the final session at the range.

Will post some pics as suggested when I am successful.

Don

 

[DON]

My range trip to sight the new load in was not the best. Temperature changed here from 70-degrees to 50-degrees. Started to dial in the 180 Partition load could not get the load to group well.
Got frustrated after 10-shots and quit. Don't have the time now to mess with it so I went home loaded up the 165 Ballistic Tip load from last year. Returning tomorrow to sight in the gun.
Will try a different box of Partitions when I resume this project.

Before leaving the range I ran three rounds through the chrony.

2687
2654
2648

Don

 

[lhsako]

how many of you have shot deer sized game w/ the 180 tips at 400yds or more? my concern is that expansion my be rather marginal at those ranges. I've killed 2 bucks w/ the 180 tip in my .300WM at about 100 yds or so. good results. MV is 3,060 fps.

 

[preacher]

I shot exactly one antelope doe with the older 180BT/300WM at 347 long steps out on the prairie. It worked fine. I then shot a 3pt muley around 75 and it was very destructive. I then went to the Barnes 180XBTs. In all fairness, it was back in the late 90's, the older and softer Ballistic Tip. In a 308 I dropped back to the 165BT ( less soft lead core in the nose, more bullet jacket base to core ratio) and shot an axis buck at 230 yds, perfection. I know the newer BTs are tougher, but the nose/tip are still the same, you should have no issues out of your 300WM. BTW, don't you just love that 300 mag for all around Western hunting? My friends and I used it with the 180XBT for a few hunts in South Africa and Namibia. We shot, between us three guys, several Blue Wildebeast, Zebra, Kudu, Blesbuck, Springbuck ( my best around 370yds) Gemsbuck ,Impala, wart hog, Red Hartebeast...its just a good, solid round. Good luck to you Pard.

 

[lhsako]

that's good to know preach. have you used any more fragile bullets for long range work? amax,sierra,etc?